"Yes. Take the pearls. Take the box, and go," she urged quickly, placing her hand upon his arm to emphasise her words, and pushing him across to the table where stood the big morocco case. "All right," he laughed. "Let's look at these wonderful pearls of yours. I wonder how much they are worth?" He halted at the table, fingering the spring-fastening of the case, and at last raised the lid. It was empty! "You vixen! You infernal woman!" he cried, turning upon her, white with anger, and with clenched fists. "You've played a slick trick on me--you've had me--and now--by gad! I--I'll have my revenge!" CHAPTER XXIX. DEADLY PERIL. Ralph Ansell made a sudden dash at his wife, gripping her by the throat with his gloved hands. She staggered to the table, and he bent her backwards across it. His evil face was distorted by a look of murderous hatred, his big eyes started from their sockets in his wild frenzy of anger. "Where are those pearls?" he demanded. "Speak! Give them to me at once, or, by Heaven, I'll strangle you!" "I--I don't know," she managed to gasp. "They were in there. I--I--I thought they were there." "You liar! You got the letter and burned it, well knowing that the jewels were not in the box! Where are they?" he demanded, tightening his grip upon her throat and shaking her roughly. "Speak, woman--speak! Tell me where they are!" Jean struggled frantically to free herself from his murderous grip. He was throttling her. "I--I don't know--where--they are!" she protested, with great difficulty. "You do! You've kept them!" he hissed between his teeth, for he was in a fury of fierce anger at having been so deceived. "It's no use lying. I mean to have them, or go straight to this man Bracondale." "I'm telling the truth!" protested the unhappy woman. "They were there half an hour ago. I put them there." "Bah! Don't tell me that! They could not have gone without hands. No, you've worked a real slick trick! And I was fool enough to trust you! Come, hand them over at once--if you don't want Bracondale to know," and he again forced her farther back over the table. "He'll be here in a minute. What a nice scene for him--eh? Come, where are those pearls?" "I've told you I don't know. It's the truth, Ralph, I swear it!" she cried, in wild despair. "Somebody must have stolen them!" "You liar!" he cried, his face white with evil passion. "Do you dare to tell me that? Do you think I'm a fool to believe such a story? Stolen! Of course they're not stolen. You've hidden them. Yes," he added, "you've been devilish clever to get that letter out of me, and burn it before my eyes--haven't you--eh? But you shall pay for it!" he cried, between his teeth, as his strong hands compressed her throat until she went scarlet and her wild, glaring eyes started from her head. She tried to cry out--tried to shriek and raise an alarm, for she knew her life was in danger. But she could utter no sound beyond a low gurgle.